Aligning device



April 28, 1953 s. E. MARSH 2,636,274

ALIGNING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Stewart E. Mars/1INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE ALIGNING mivicnStewart E. Marsh, Windgap, Pa.

Application February 5, 1951,

1 Claim. (Cl.,33-- 8 This invention pertains to new and usefulimprovements in aligning devices and has for its primary object a meansfor determining the error or deviation of intermediate portions of amasonry wall relative to the ends thereof.

An important object of this invention is to provide a wall aligningdevice having a means for leveling a course of a masonry wall, therebypreventing sag in the center of the wall.

Important features of this invention are to provide a sighting levelsimulating a telescope, a target having cross-hairs for alignment withthe sighting level and intermediate longitudinally adjustable set ofcross-hairs for alignment with the sighting and target levels.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of theinvention, which will later become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodimentof which is illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front vertical view of a portion of a masonry wall andshowing the application of the instant invention thereto;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical view showing a section through thesighting block as taken along the plane of the section line 3-3 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional side view taken along the plane of thesection line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional side view taken along the plane of thesection lines 5-5 of Figure l; and

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional side view taken along the plane of thesection lines 6-6 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numeralsindicate similar parts throughout the various views, it will be evidentthat the numeral l0 denotes a portion of a masonry wall constructed in aconventional manner of a plurality of courses l2 of building block,brick or the like.

It is well known that the task of maintaining each brick in a singlecourse at the same level or what amounts to the same thing, a pluralityof levels or horizontal courses one above the other is indeed veryarduous. Heretofore, as seen in the patent to W. H. Batchler, No.2,505,- 935, the method of aligning intermediate blocks in a course waseffected by tautly stretching a guide line between the ends of thecourse. This method could offer no assurance that a course was level,but merely that Serial No. 209,439

all points along the course were in the same line; even the latter couldbe erroneous if a slight amount of slack or sag occurred in the guideline.

To alleviate these disadvantages, the instant invention provides a pairof guide line holders or end blocks l4 and it having aguide line l5stretched therebetween.

Block M has a substantially .L-shaped contour but one leg divergesinwardly, as at 20, for a purpose believed to be well-known butnevertheless to be explained in subsequent description. The transverseleg l8 also contains a medial slot 22 cutting through the centrallongitudinal cross section of the same. The leg 24 1s provided at itsupper surface with a longitudinal recess 26 opening on both ends of theleg.

With the exception that its construction is reversed,the block [6 isidentical, having a longitudinal leg 28 with a recess 39 and-an inwardlydivergent transverse leg 32 with a slot 34. The reason for making oneblock the reverse of the other is clearly seen from Figures 1 and 2,where the blocks are illustrated in position on the masonry wall.

In either of the blocks, as M, there is slidably emplaced in the recess26 a sighting means 36 comprising an elongated body 38 having open endsand being constructed of some suitable material. At one end of this bodythere is a window gauge 40 having, thereon a plurality of graduations asat 42. At this same end and disposed on the top side 24 of the body 38is a spirit level 46 of a known and conventional construction.Separating the level Mi from the interior of the body is a glass paneand immediately below the same is a reflecting surface 50 mounted on anangular support 52.

At the opposite end of the body 38 is an eyepiece 5 1 of conventionalnature and which, if desired, could assume the lens. It will now beevident that by looking into the eyepiece 54, it will be possible to seeboth the spirit level 46 and the graduated window gauge 40.

Since for the purpose of discussion, the block [4 has been chosen toreceive the sighting means, the block 16 will be assumed to receive thetarget means 56. It should be understood that either block l4 or l6,could, if desired, receive either the target or sighting devices. At anyrate, the target means 55 consists of an elongated solid block 58slidably received in the recess 30 and having inscribed on one end 60 aset of crosshairs, as 62.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that.

form of a telescopic in the process of constructing the wall 10, it willessary. However, since numerous modifications be necessary to test theheighth of each block and changes will readily occur to those skilled ina course whereby the latter may be adjusted in the art after aconsideration of the foregoing to provide a horizontal or level wall.With the specification and accompanying drawings, it is guide line l5stretched tautly, the sighting block 5 not desired to limit theinvention to the exact I4 is placed on the corner of the wall adjacentconstruction shown and described, for all suitany desired course to betested. Since the legs able modifications and equivalents may be reareconstructed at an acute angle, a. firm fit is sorted to, falling within.the scope .of the apassured. By viewing the reflecting surface in thepended claim. eyepiece, the spirit level may be observed 'where- Havingdescribed the invention, what is claimed by if the block I 1 isadjusted, the same will beas new is: come level. Now, by viewing thecross-hairs 62 A masonry wall aligning device comprising, a o the r etblock 5 6 through the eyepieo'erth pair of end blocks for mounting on awall, a guide r t may e ou ht into l vel rela i nship line stretchedbetween said end blocks, and an with the sight. Now the ends, at least,of the elongated center block for mounting transversely uid l ne l5 willalso e lev l. H w v r. i t on the wall between the end blocks andincludmediate the ends the line may tend to slack or ing projecting endportign having an alignee. This invention, therefore, p ovides a'meansing aperture therein, said center block further 1 to alleviate thisdisadvantage. having an elongated recess in its lower portionAccordingly, a U-shaped center block 64 hav for the receptionof the walland still further a cel'ltral recess W'hich is adapted t0 having a, holetheret raugh. fo -"the passage of fit over the top of a masonry block isprovided, as the line a hole communicating with Seen in Figure In theoutwardly extending cess for the insertionand removal of the-line;-

legs 58 of the center block is an aligning means MQR consisting of anaperture to within-which is dis- STEWART posed a set of cross-hairs l2.Furthermore, a References Cited in the fil of thisnpatent small hole 1::is provided in the crotch between the outward leg and the central recessfor re- UNITED STATES PATENTS ceptionof the guide line It. Number 1 NameDate Therefore, once the sight and target blocks 88,606 Bryant Aug. 6,1869 are arranged level, it only remains necessary to 420,245 Rose Jan;28, 1890 place the intermediate aligning block til at the 5, Kinkead Ocdesired point of test along the course whereby 946,964 Hall Jan. 18,1910 the lateral and vertical deviation of this portion 1,189,422 BodmerJuly 4, 1916 of the course or wall can be determined and ac- 351,682,034 Burmister Aug. 28, 1928 cordingly corrected. 1,714,827 Tarkaet al May 28, 1929 From the foregoing, the construction and op-2,286,669 Carr June 16, 1942 eration of the device will be readilyunderstood 2,422,294 DuPont June 17, 1947 and further explanationis-believed to be unnec- 2, 05,935 Batchler May 2, 1950

